Shepherds Their Watch Amid Their Flocks

Shepherds their watch amid their flocks were keep­ing

Dim were the hills be­neath Ju­de­an skies

When one bright ser­aph

as the world lay sleep­ing

With light ce­les­ti­al blessed their won­der­ing eyes.

Behold! I bring glad tid­ings to all peo­ple

For un­to you

he cried

the Christ is born!

This is the news that rings from tower and stee­ple

Throughout the land on ev­ery Christ­mas morn.

And then the an­gel told them of the man­ger

Where lay the ho­ly Child

in poor ar­ray

Where He

the King of kings

a home­less strang­er

For love of man was born on Christ­mas Day.

Then sud­den­ly

as if the courts of Heav­en

Were ov­er­flow­ing with its joy and love

A host of an­gels from the skies all riv­en

Sang the high prais­es of the Lord above.

Glory to God! To God the high­est glo­ry!

And bene­dic­tions fell like sum­mer rain.

Peace up­on earth! un­til the world is hoa­ry

No song so sweet will fall to earth again.